Nailfungus - Not a Good Fungous

Follow @Beautyguide1



Nailfungus is a unpleasant, widespread problem and affects more and more people today. It can happen to everybody and should be treated right away to prevent spreading.

This infection is caused by dermatophytes, so called fungi which feel quite comfortable in a moist and warm environment because it's a good breeding ground for infections and diseases.

If you observe a negative change of your nails like they getting brittle and thick with a dark or yellow-white surface then you most likely have a nailfungus. This unpleasant sight should lead you directly to a chiropodist. In my daily task I'm often confronted with this problem and it requires a lot of patience, regular care and many visits in my praxis to get the feet back to its normal condition again.

Onychomycoses, which is another name for this infection can be very persistant. Most people get it in swimming pools, saunas and hotel rooms because they walk barefoot and are unaware of the risk to become infected. But these are the places where nailfungus spores lurk.

In indoor pools and saunas it's the warm and moist temperatures, and in hotel rooms you really never know who walked the carpet before, it could be Mr. Fungus. So please always wear flip flops.

Little injurys or cracks can cause the spores to penetrate the skin leading easily to this disease. But also diabetics are often affected because of their encreased risk of infection. Metabolic diseases, medication, a weak immune system and a poor blood circulation of the legs can also be responsible in some cases. Here, competent foot care is needed.

A professional treatment always begins with a diagnosis of the feet and nails. The chiropodist will then decide how to treat the affected areas. The out scrape of the nail fungus is the most impotant part and will be carried out carefully with special instruments.

Special tinctures will be applied to help the nail to regenerate and enhance the healing process. This treatment should be carried out on a regular basis to be successful. At home always check in between the toes to make sure that the skin is well dried, and apply appropiate disinfectant lotions and ointments.

In hard cases doctors sometimes prescribe pills to fight nailfungus internally. This medication is very strong and can have side effects on your liver. So you will only take this medication for a couple of weeks until your nails begin to grow in healthy again.

Depending on how severe the infection is and the appliance of antifungual polishes did not show the expected results, it can possibly happen that the nail has to be removed. But within a couple of month a new one will grow back. Important is that you visit your chiropodist or doctor periodically to examine your feet.

In some cases I've seen very good results with laser therapy. This is also a possibility to get rid of this infection and is almost painless. However, you can always take precautions to avoid this unaesthetic problem.

MY TIPS

Visit your chiropodist regularly

Examine your feet at home

Keep your feet dry, especially in between your toes

Wear flip flops in indoor pools, saunas, hotel rooms and showers

Apply special foot care products daily, some even contain anti fungal substances

Wear cotton socks and change them often


Back to foot care

Return from nailfungus to anti aging beauty guide